Passion
by Jediempress
Summary: Zack and Sora decide to help Cloud and Sephiroth socialize more. When they find the two, however, it's in an unexpected situation. Riku won't take this well. Completed.
1. Passion Unwanted

All right, here's the explanation: After I wrote the word prompt Affair, Riku-Rocks and that wonderfully twisted mind of hers she rarely lets out came up with the concept for this. …And I found myself deciding to write it out. You do not need to have read that word to get this (at least, I tried to make that way). Please give your opinions and if properly motivated, I have a second part loosely in mind.

This is also unbeta'ed, sorry for all the errors.

Thanks to Sassy and Elise for help with the title.

Passions Unwanted

"So, how difficult do you think it will be to get them to cooperate?" Sora asked casually, walking with both hands behind his head. The weather had been fairly mild all day but there were now dark clouds building on the horizon and it was likely to rain later on.

Zack snorted. "Ever get gum stuck in your hair?"

"Yeah, and all these stupid spikes get all tangled up with it and it's just a mess." Sora frowned. "That bad, huh?"

"Worse."

"Great." Sora sighed. "Oh well, it'll be good for them and Riku will be thrilled when he hears about it."

The older man nodded his agreement. "Both Cloud and Sephiroth need to work on their social skills. Suggesting making them go to the Winter Solstice Party was brilliant."

"I thought so." The teen grinned. "It's a big enough thing that they'll have to talk to people but still small enough that they shouldn't feel overwhelmed."

They approached the house at the end of the cul-de-sac, waving to the next door neighbor as they passed. Turning up the walk, Zack chuckled. "Well, Sanosuke didn't complain so it couldn't have gotten too bad after I left."

"Yeah, everyone would have heard if they had killed each other," agreed Sora.

"You know, I've been meaning to ask you this, Sora," Zack paused and turned toward the teenager. "I know Riku and Cloud invited you to live with them along with Sephiroth, why did you say no?"

Sora shrugged. "Honestly, I just felt weird about it. I mean, they're like newlyweds or something and… I don't, it just didn't feel right. I like staying with you and Leon."

"Makes sense. That's why Seph isn't actually living with them." Zack shrugged. "Even though he spends most of his time there."

"Yeah but he and Cloud are still really awkward around each other. Riku's happy that they're trying to get along but even he says there's a lot of tension between them."

Zack smiled. "Well, we're going to try to do something about that."

Both squared their shoulders and marched the rest of the way up the walk. As usual the door was not locked and they simply walked in. The house was quiet, which both took as a good sign. They assumed the two inside had simply gone to their separate corners.

There was a solid thud from the office as if someone's back had roughly hit it and Zack and Sora glanced at one another. Perhaps things were not as calm as they thought. Bracing themselves to break up Cloud and Sephiroth, they quickly moved to the partially open door.

A near snarl drifted out followed by an odd groan. Zack twisted his face at it and caught Sora's eye. The brunet also seemed to have noticed the peculiar tone of the groan. With a quick nod to each other, they rounded the doorframe.

They froze in absolute shock at what they saw.

Cloud's back was indeed pressed against the wall with one hand pinned up near the far side of his head. Most of his face was blocked but there was an angry flush to what could be seen. His free hand clutched at Sephiroth's upper arm.

Nearly the full length of Sephiroth's body was settled against the blond's, one leg nestled beside Cloud's. Only his shoulder wing was out today and held tightly to him. Long silver hair cascaded down his back.

…His bare back. It took a fraction of a second to realize that Cloud's shirt was torn and half-ripped off his body. It took another breath of time to understand why the two's bodies were locked so tightly together and why it was so difficult to see either of their faces.

Cloud and Sephiroth were caught up in an extremely intense looking make-out session.

Nearly as soon as Zack and Sora entered the room, the other two sprang apart as if physically thrown. Sephiroth half-turned away, his eyes wide with shock as he stared blankly at the floor. Cloud gasped in reaction, sliding down the wall limply.

All four were silent.

It finally became too much and Cloud dropped his head into his hands, stuttering. "I… I can't believe that just happened."

Zack rubbed at his jaw, trying to find words. "What… how…?"

"What the hell did we just walk in on?" Sora shouted, causing all three of the others to look at him. He was absolutely livid.

Sephiroth's wing was twitching violently. He had managed to school his features back into a calm expression but his eyes were still confused and panicked. "I honestly have no idea."

"We were arguing just like we have been all day." Cloud rushed out. "There wasn't anything unusual about it and then… we just…"

"Okay," Zack got out slowly. He held both his hands out in a pacifying manner. "We all need to settle down a moment and figure this out."

Cloud barked out a bitter laugh. Before he could say anything, Sephiroth spoke. "Zack is correct, Cloud. We need to think this through."

Sora was still glaring and he abruptly turned and headed for the front room. Zack glanced after him for a second before addressing the two in the room. His expression was pained and he shook his head. "Straighten yourselves out and met us in the other room."

He immediately left and found Sora pacing the length of the front room. His fists were clenched at his sides and he was rambling as he moved. "Riku is going to completely meltdown. He will _not_ get over this. How could they do this to him?"

"Sora." Zack called to him softly. "They didn't mean for this to happen."

"Then why did it?" Sora snapped. "I may not understand a lot of sex related stuff but there is no way _that_ just happens!"

Sighing, Zack fell against the wall. "I know, Sora. We need to hear what they say first. All I know is neither one of them would ever willingly hurt Riku."

Sora dropped on the sofa in a huff. He did not really care what the reason was for Cloud and Sephiroth's actions. All he knew was that the two of them had betrayed Riku in the worse possible way.

He did not look up as the other two men entered the room, now fully clothed and absolutely silent. Cloud ended up on the window seat, Riku's window seat. Sephiroth crossed over to stand on the other side of the space. Neither looked at Zack or Sora.

Zack worried his lower lip, trying to decide how to go about this. He exhaled loudly and crossed his arms at his waist. "All right, first thing's first. Has _anything_ like this _ever_ happened before?"

"No," Both spoke together with absolute certainty.

Nodding slowly, Zack kept his focus on the coffee table in the center of the room. "What _exactly_ happened?"

Cloud glanced over at Sephiroth who was now looking at him. There was a moment of unspoken communication between them. It was Sephiroth who finally began explaining.

His wing continued to twitch. "I am to blame for starting the argument. I came into the office to inform him that I was not the clean up service and he needed to take care of the mess he made in the kitchen. He muttered that this was his house and he could do what he wanted with it. I asked if he ever spoke to Riku like that and I admit my tone was rather harsh.

"He stood and turned on me, stating that I had no place in his and Riku's relationship. I simply told him that if I at any point felt that he was mistreating my brother, I had no qualms in making sure it ended." Sephiroth took a light breath. "The argument went from there."

Cloud quietly picked up the story from there. "He began questioning what it was that Riku saw in me and why I was so protective of Riku. That led into a debate about why I was willing to work so hard at reconciling with Sephiroth. He came to the conclusion that it couldn't be just because of Riku and next thing I knew…"

"We had torn off one another's shirts and I had Cloud pinned to the wall," concluded Sephiroth, pain etched in his voice. "I truly do not know what would have happened if the two of you hadn't come in."

The group fell silent.

Sora looked between the two angrily. He seemed conflicted as to which one to tear into first. None of them had seen him this furious. He was trembling on the sofa with tears forming in his eyes.

Zack threw his head back to gently tap it against the wall. "I don't know where to go with this."

Cloud turned and rested his head on the cool glass of the window. "Riku will never forgive this."

Sora jerked his head in the blond's direction. "That should be the least of your worries. When he hears how both of you betrayed his trust, it's gonna kill him! Do either of you realize just how much Riku depends on us?"

Cloud suddenly whirled on Sora, jumping to his feet. There was moisture on his cheeks as he snapped out. "I know all that and more, Sora! Don't you _dare_ even think I don't! He finds out about this and it's going to tear him apart! It's killing me right now knowing that I've done this! I don't-" He choked off, shoulders sagging in defeat as the anger left him.

"We are both aware of the consequences of what occurred here today." Sephiroth's own voice was tight. "I still do not know how it happened but that has little bearing on what will happen when Riku is informed of it."

Zack sighed and rubbed at his forehead. "I think I know what happened. The real question is: will it happen again?"

The other three looked at him questioningly.

"From the beginning, there has been an unusually strong connection between the two of you. I have no idea why or where it came from but I noticed it right away. You would always somehow keep running into one another even when Cloud and I weren't getting in trouble. It was like you were oddly drawn to one another.

"It only got more intense after Nibelheim. I wasn't witness to a lot of it being dead and all but for years the two of you have been locked in this twisted game of cat and mouse, always chasing after one another. Even now, both of you have this weird intrinsic understanding of one another."

The raven-haired man shook his head. "Now, just hear me out on this next part before you start in on me, Cloud."

The blond immediately wanted to protest but held his tongue. Sephiroth angled his head and there was a peculiar look to his eyes. Sora's anger had greatly diminished and now he listened to Zack intently.

"Taking all of that into account it seems very likely that it was because of Riku's similarities to Sephiroth that you were attracted to him. " Cloud opened his mouth but Zack held up a hand. "Obviously, you fell in love with _him_ but it was the similarities that initially caught your attention."

"So are you trying to say that just now Cloud was using Sephiroth as a substitute for Riku?" Sora's face twisted in disgust. "That's just… eww."

"I think I'm insulted." Sephiroth murmured dryly.

"That's not quite what I was getting at." Zack sighed, racking his fingers through his hair. "The point was, there's a lot of… emotion between the two of you, most of it unresolved. Most of that is rather intense and we all know how Cloud gets when Riku's been gone a few days.

"My guess is that all of the tension that's been present since Riku left reached critical level and something had to give. Since the two of you are rather passionate about each other, it turned sexual." The Colonel concluded. He glanced between them. "The question is: could this happen again?"

Cloud and Sephiroth studied one another. Zack and Sora looked at each other, trying not to watch the other two and give them a minute to make their decision. Only they truly understood the bond between them and it seemed likely that they themselves were not very certain of its origins.

Abruptly Cloud turned away, moving back to the window seat. He climbed back up on it and stared out the window, hugging his knees. He seemed suddenly lost.

Sephiroth's expression was grimmer than Zack had ever seen it. The younger man knew Sephiroth's words before he said them. "Neither of us can promise that it won't."

Sora got very wide-eyed as the impact of the statement settled in. He shook his head and turned his face down. "So what does that mean?"

"I love Riku." Cloud stated softly with absolute conviction.

"There is no doubt about that," agreed Sephiroth. "I do not know what this… connection we have is but I will not jeopardize my brother's stability or more importantly, his happiness."

Zack frowned. "You know he won't let you leave."

"I do not intend to abandon him." The winged man's voice was tight. "But I will not remain in this house."

Sora glanced at him. The teen was overwhelmed by all of this and though he really did not understand what was going on, what he did get was that both Sephiroth and Cloud did not want anything like what happened this afternoon to happen again. Suddenly, he was no longer angry with them.

Zack unfolded his arms. "What are we going to tell Riku?"

Everyone was silent.

…And then Sora spoke the one sentence none of them ever expected to hear from him. "We don't."

The men stared at him. Sora laced his fingers before him, gazing at the coffee table. He took a deep breath and bit his lip. "This won't happen again. Neither of you wanted this so technically it's not cheating, right? If we tell him, it will only cause him pain and further security issues. We can't risk breaking him."

Sora looked at each of them in turn. "_I_ won't risk it. We don't tell him."

It took a few minutes but slowly Zack, Sephiroth, and finally Cloud nodded. Sephiroth was frowning deeply, his feline eyes troubled and wing gently twitching in a nervous manner. Cloud had a few stray tears glinting off his cheeks. Zack was regarding Sora with an odd mixture of respect and worry.

He knew he was going to have to have a long talk with the boy very soon.

Sora stood and walked toward Zack. Standing beside him, he turned to look at both Cloud and Sephiroth. The expression on his face was truly terrifying. "Do _not_ ever let something like this happen again. If Riku's heart gets broken because of either of you, I will make sure you suffer."

With that last promise, he left the house.

Sephiroth looked after him. "That boy is the only person I am truly afraid of."

Cloud nodded his agreement.

Zack pulled away from the wall. "I better try talking to him."

"Let me." Cloud slid off the still. "I know there's more he wants to know and I'm the only one who can answer his questions."

Zack nodded his consent and Cloud left without a word. The raven-haired man fixed his attention on Sephiroth, who had turned to face the wall. "Seph?"

The man inhaled and exhaled sharply. "I knew staying here was a bad idea but Riku was so excited about the prospect."

"What are you saying?"

Sephiroth laughed but it was broken sounding. He turned and his bright eyes glistened. "I don't know. I have to seriously think over what happened today."

Zack narrowed his eyes. "Do you think…?"

"No," Sephiroth managed a smirk. "At least as far as I'm concerned, there are no genuine romantic or sexual desires toward Cloud."

That seemed a strange statement."So what do you think it was?"

Sephiroth's face fell and he looked truly anguished. "I'm very much afraid to know."

Zack only nodded once, knowing that the older man was not going to divulge any more than that. "What are you going to tell Riku about not staying here?"

Sephiroth snorted and walked across the room. He did not pause as he passed Zack. "The truth."

Zack looked after him a moment before following. He could only hope that Sephiroth's words were one of his vague descriptions. If not, things were about to blow up around here and no one was prepared for that.

--0—0—0—

Anyone want more of this story line?


	2. Passion Denied

You all have no idea how much this killed me but since you all seemed so interested, the story continues. There will be one more segment to the tale and the more feedback I get, the faster it will happen. Special thanks to Tifa and Sassy for all the encouragement and support with this project.

Passion Denied

"Welcome back, Riku." Aerith smiled as the teen and Cloud walked into Committee headquarters. "We missed you around here."

Riku smiled a little, glancing at Cloud who had not released his hand since they left the house that morning. He had returned mid-afternoon the day before and had been immediately attacked. They had not left the house until now. "I guessed that."

Sora looked over and for a mere second a shadow flitted through his eyes when they swept past Cloud to settle on Riku. His expression brightened. "Hey, Ku."

"So, what did I miss?" Riku kissed Cloud's knuckles and stepped away from the blond to head over to the center table where Aerith was writing something out. "Anything interesting?"

"No." Sora said quickly. "Same old, same old."

Riku lifted an eyebrow and gave a light laugh. "You okay, Sor?"

"Totally."

"Hey, where are those blueprints?" Zack burst through the door with Sephiroth in tow. "Seph's gotta- oh, hey guys."

Zack patted Riku's shoulder as he came further into the room. Sephiroth remained beside the door, arms folded before his chest and head angled down. The younger First Class grinned at Riku. "When'd you get back?"

"Yesterday afternoon." Riku replied, glancing over his shoulder at his brother. "I was surprised I didn't see you."

Sephiroth shrugged. "I had things to do."

The teen nodded. "I'm just happy the two of you didn't kill each other. I half-expected to come home to you attacking one another."

Cloud's shoulders stiffened a touch but Riku did not appear to notice. His attention was set upon Sephiroth and a faint frown crossed his features. He looked like he was going to ask something but Cloud squeezed his hand. "I have to go run that errand for Tifa."

"Okay," the teen smiled and placed a lengthy kiss on his lover's lips. "I'll be here."

Cloud studied him intently. "You better be."

He released Riku's hand and turned. Passing Sephiroth without so much as a glance, he left the building. An odd silence fell within the space in his wake.

Riku waited a moment then sighed. He went over to the table and sat backwards in one of the chairs. "All right, what happened?"

"What do you mean?" Sora asked brightly. There was a worried look to his eyes as they flicked toward Sephiroth. The man gave absolutely no reaction to either one's question.

Riku closed his eyes and sighed. "Things went horribly while I was gone, didn't they?"

"I wouldn't say horribly," commented Zack, rubbing at the back of his head.

"You fought the whole time." Riku looked at his brother. There was a resigned tone to his voice.

Sephiroth lifted his eyes for a mere moment. "Not the entire time."

"Hmmm. I guess that's something." The younger, silvered male conceded softly. "Eventually, both of you will work something out. I'm just happy you're trying."

"I'm certain we will." Sephiroth moved away from the wall. He approached Aerith and began sorting through files. "Are the blueprints here for the security complex?"

"No, Leon took them with him this morning." Aerith answered, tucking some hair behind her ear.

The winged man nodded, straightening out and turning back for the door. "I believe I shall locate him then."

Riku stood and quickly followed. "I'll come with. I haven't seen Leon yet and I should find out what's been going on since I've been gone."

Once the two left, Zack turned toward Sora. "This isn't going to work."

Sora folded his arms and looked down. "It has to."

"There's too much tension between them, Sora." Zack's posture mirrored the brunet teen. "Riku may be misreading it for now but that won't last. He's gonna figure out something's going on and he'll start asking questions."

There was a delicate clearing of throat and both lifted their heads at Aerith. They had forgotten she was still there. The woman had a hard look to her green eyes. "What's going on?"

Sora clearly wanted to deflect the question with some weak explanation. Zack, however, knew exactly how well that would go over. Aerith would know they were not telling her the truth and there would be hell to pay for it. It was best to be honest and keep the details as minimal as possible.

Zack sent Sora a look that clearly read _let me handle this_. "You already know things are… complicated when it comes to Cloud and Seph. Without someone acting as a buffer between them, well, it's bad."

Aerith bit her lip and tilted her head. "There's a lot of emotion between those two."

There was definitely something knowing to her words. Zack and Sora both heard it and had the strong feeling that she understood exactly what was going on. It was uncertain how much she knew but it was worth probing a bit further.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked as casually as he could.

She hesitated a moment. "I came across them arguing in the Bailey two days ago. I doubt they saw me because they carried on as if no one was there."

"And?" Sora leaned forward, deep worry shading his blue eyes.

"Well, Cloud was yelling about Sephiroth doing something, I couldn't catch what. Sephiroth spoke quietly back and Cloud yelled some more." Aerith leaned against the edge of the desk. "Then Sephiroth abruptly pressed Cloud against the wall and whispered something. They fell silent for a few moments just staring at one another and then Sephiroth released him and stalked away."

"Damnit." Zack quietly cursed, turning away.

Aerith took in both Zack and Sora's expressions. She could read both of them quite easily. "Something happened between them, didn't it?"

Sora reluctantly murmured confirmation.

Zack sighed, shoulder dropping. "It's only a matter of time before this whole thing blows up in everyone's faces and I don't know if there's anything any of us can do."

"So what do we do?" Aerith asked softly.

Sora's lower lip trembled. "We can't do anything. It's up to Cloud and Sephiroth to figure this out between them and hopefully, their decision doesn't destroy Riku."

--0—0—

Sephiroth was oddly quiet at the work site. He said what he needed to while explaining his adjustments to the building plans but outside of that, spoke little. Riku tried asking him a few questions about what had happened while he was gone but the older man kept his answers short and rather vague.

He knew Riku was suspicious of these replies. The teen was his brother after all and just as good at piecing together clues as he was, perhaps even better. No one read him as well as Riku did…. With the exception of Cloud.

"Seph?"

The winged man glanced over. "Yes?"

"I said I'm going with Leon to Ansem's study to try to crack that file again," Riku patiently explained. "Mickey gave me a few suggestions of things to try."

Leon was giving Sephiroth an odd look but his voice was completely normal. "Can you shut things down for the day here?"

"Certainly."

The two waited a second before bidding him farewell. An hour later, Sephiroth dismissed everyone else. He lingered in the empty building for a long time after and then rolled up the blueprints. He left the site and headed back across town to headquarters to put the prints away.

The place was abandoned when he arrived. It was getting late in the day so it was likely Aerith had left to begin dinner preparations. The others had probably gone home for the day also.

Sephiroth filed away the blueprints in the _in use_ drawer and shut it, pausing for a moment with his head angled down. He had never felt guilt before in his life and every time he looked at Riku today, that was all he could feel. He was not even certain what exactly he felt guilty for.

Since that afternoon when Zack and Sora had found him and Cloud engaged in that heated kiss, something had shifted in his relationship with the blond man. Zack had been correct in that there had always been an intense, almost passionate connection between himself and Cloud but it had never been… sexual. There was emotion, certainly, and a twisted desire to control but…

…he felt sick just thinking about this.

He raised his head as an easily recognized presence approached the door. He had enough time to completely school his features into a mask of calm collectiveness before it opened. This was the last person he wanted to see.

Cloud stepped in and flicked his bright eyes at Sephiroth. Their gazes locked for a mere second before the blond turned violently away. "Where's Riku?"

"He went with Leon to Ansem's study."

Cloud nodded once and turned to leave. He hesitated before re-opening the door. He stared at the handle, hand hovering just before it. "What are you going to tell him?"

"The truth," Sephiroth muttered, "Exactly as I told Zack I would."

The blond dropped his hand and turned to face his former nemesis. His blue eyes were hard and his voice tight. "And who's truth would that be, Sephiroth?"

Sephiroth returned the gaze icily. "The only truth that matters. I will not lie to my brother, Strife, nor will I cause him undue anguish."

Cloud's jaw locked as the thought over the older man's words. He angrily nodded and re-faced the door. "Not like you haven't done that enough."

"Excuse me?" There was a clipped tone to Sephiroth's voice.

Cloud whirled on him. He took a few steps forward, his own voice seething. "You realize it's entirely your fault this is happening. If you hadn't spent all those years…"

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes. "I believe it was you who made the decision to chase me down. You even made that ridiculous deal with Hades to locate me. You were the one obsessed with finding me."

"Because you wouldn't leave me alone!" Cloud shouted, one hand reaching up to grip a section of blond spikes. "No matter what I do, no matter how hard I try, you're always _there_!"

He came to a stop two feet before Sephiroth. Bright, clear eyes locked with the winged man's and Cloud's words took a pleading tone. "Why won't you go away?"

Sephiroth waited a moment to gather his thoughts. He had no answers for Cloud. He had been asking himself the same questions, wondering the same thoughts. He understood as little as the younger man did.

"Perhaps I should," he mulled out softly. He did not take his gaze from Cloud's eyes. "But we both know what the result would be."

The corner of Cloud's lip tugged down. It was obvious he wanted to argue but could not and his anger quickly returned. He tore his attention away and half turned. "Damn you."

"Why do you insist on blaming me for this?" Sephiroth snapped out. He took a step from the filing cabinet, closing some of the distance between them. "You're the one who chooses to pursue me. You say I started this but _you_ are the one who continues it."

Cloud twisted his neck enough to give Sephiroth a side-long look. "Not because I want to."

"I wonder."

Hate flared up in Cloud's eyes and in one quick step he was before Sephiroth. He gripped the man's jacket with both hands and shoved him back. The taller man's shoulders cut into the top of the cabinet as he was slammed against it.

"You wanted this, didn't you?" The blond hissed. "This is what you've wanted all along."

Sephiroth's slotted eyes shifted. "No-"

He did not get to finish the statement. Cloud's mouth came crashing down upon his, angry and intent. His hands were still fisted in Sephiroth's coat and he pressed his body tightly against the larger man's. There was nothing gentle to his actions.

The silvered man only hesitated for a fraction of a second before he was greedily returning the kiss. Something primal overtook him and he brought his hands up, one to grip Cloud's lower hip and the other raising further to possessively wrap fingers around the blond's neck.

Cloud growled, opening his mouth enough for Sephiroth to force his tongue in. The younger one bit down a bit and Sephiroth stretched his fingers up, tugging forcefully at blond spikes. One of Cloud's hands released the leather he was gripping to slide over to bare chest, nails digging into the firm muscles as he pushed the jacket aside.

Sephiroth tightened his hold on Cloud's hip, hard enough to leave a bruise. Cloud groaned and released the other man's mouth only to immediately start biting at Sephiroth's neck. When Sephiroth pulled the shorter man even closer to his body, he let his left, lower wing wrap clingingly around Cloud's backside.

Cloud shifted a bit, one leg moving forward to rest between the longer ones of the other. Sephiroth made a guttural sound in the back of his throat, nails digging into Cloud's skin. The blond snarled and bit hard into his clavicle.

…And then they abruptly sprang apart.

Sephiroth fell against the cabinet, gasping softly. Cloud twisted away, staggering and gasping in reaction. Neither one spoke for several minutes, each trying to grasp what they had just allowed to happen again.

After he regained his breath, Cloud straightened out. He did not look at Sephiroth but the man knew exactly what Cloud's expression was. He could picture the anguish and confusion.

The blond's voice could barely be heard. "I love Riku."

Sephiroth closed his eyes and angled his face down. "I know."

"This cannot…._will not_ happen again." Cloud's voice was firm but Sephiroth knew he was trying to convince himself as well as Sephiroth.

"No, it won't." Sephiroth confirmed. He pulled away from the cabinet. "You and I will make sure that whatever this is, it will not continue."

Cloud turned and they locked gazes. "So we just pretend none of this happened?"

An elegant silver eyebrow arched. "Do you have a better idea?"

Before Cloud could reply, the door opened and Riku appeared around it. He looked relieved at finding them but that quickly turned into concern. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing that concerns you." Sephiroth answered simply.

"Don't lie to me, Sephiroth." Riku ordered. "I can feel something's off between the two of you."

Cloud paled a touch but Sephiroth remained unmoved. The winged man shrugged dismissively at his brother. "You know that Cloud and I attempted to co-habitat civilly while you were away. It did not go as hoped."

"I know." Riku frowned. Painful acceptance crossed his expressive eyes. "I'm glad you tried."

"As am I." Sephiroth agreed easily. "I have accepted Tifa's offer to stay in her former quarters above Seventh Heaven. That way I am still close at hand."

The teen brightened at this, though that sadness lingered in his expression. "That's better than nothing."

Sephiroth flicked his eyes at Cloud and silently bid him to do something. The blond blinked once and moved toward his lover. Cloud wrapped his arms around Riku's waist. "Are you hungry?"

Riku bit his lip suggestively. "Depends what for."

Cloud smirked and nipped at the silvered teen's ear. "You can have anything you want."

Grinning, Riku looked over at Sephiroth. "So, we'll see you later?"

Sephiroth nodded briefly and the couple stumbled out. He took a long, steadying breath before turning and in an uncharacteristic display of anger, slammed his fist down upon the desk. It cracked beneath the force.

He waited a few minutes before leaving out the back door. From there, he wandered into the woods. He had to figure out what was going on with him and Cloud and he had to do it fast.

_He_ did not think he would be able to fight it much longer and if he gave in, they would all suffer.


	3. Passion Revealed

Alright, here's the inevitable end. Thank you for reading and reviews would be lovely. It killed me to write this... I may have to take a few days off from writing....

* * *

Passion Revealed

Riku entered Ansem's Study, a distracted look to his features. Aerith and Sora glanced over at him, a deep frown tugging at the younger one's lips. Riku simply passed them and headed back for the Computer Room to get to work.

Sora bit his lower lip. Riku had been back for a week now and had steadily become more removed and distant as the days passed. The awkwardness between Riku's lover and brother was noticeable and while it could be easily misread, those who knew the two could tell it was not the normal tension.

No one read Cloud and Sephiroth better than Riku.

Sora looked at Aerith and knew that the woman was thinking the exact same thing. "This isn't working, Aerith."

"I doubted it would," Aerith sighed, folding her arms. "If Cloud and Sephiroth had been able to get this figured out before Riku returned, it might have but with the way things are now… This whole situation is about to get very ugly."

"I thought that by keeping what we saw secret, we could somehow… I don't know, let the whole thing work itself out," Sora's voice was soft and a bit high with emotion.

"I don't know if it can be worked out," the Cetra spoke softly. "Cloud and Sephiroth have tried to figure things out. I don't know if they really don't understand what's happening between them or they just won't allow themselves to."

Sora tilted his head, not liking what Aerith was implying. "You think that they know what's going on but aren't acknowledging it because they don't want to risk hurting Riku?"

"It's possible."

"I can't believe that," Sora nearly shouted. "They wouldn't-"

"Sora," Zack ordered from the study's entrance. "Riku will hear you."

The teen collected himself, taking a deep breath. Zack came further in, his expression worn and his violet eyes not displaying his usual humor. It was obvious all of this was taking its toll on him also. "Sorry."

Zack nodded and stopped beside Aerith. She rubbed at his back reassuringly and he managed a brief smile for her. It disappeared very quickly. "We've all made a mistake Sora."

"I'm starting to think so, too." Sora shook his head. "But… we can't tell him now, can we? I mean…"

Zack breathed out slowly. "We have to figure out what's best for Riku."

Aerith glanced at both of them. "You both already know the answer to that."

"Yeah," Sora and Zack stated together.

"However, there's more at stake here than just Riku." Aerith moved and sat atop the large desk. "Cloud and Sephiroth are suffering just as much as Riku will. We can't forget that."

"This is a mess," groaned Sora, throwing up his hands and turning to pace a few steps. "No matter what we do, it's going to end badly for someone. Why is this happening? What did any of them do to deserve this?"

"Nothing," Zack whispered, leaning his weight back and looking down. "None of them deserve any of this."

Footsteps faintly echoed from the main hallway and the three stopped taking. A minute later, Cloud and Leon entered the study. Leon narrowed his eyes a bit at the unusually somber group; Cloud did not even look at them.

"What's going on?" asked Leon. He cast his gaze on everyone, ending with Zack.

The ex-SOLDIER tried to shrug dismissively but it was obvious to all those present that he was anything but unconcerned. "You know, just the usual."

"Is Riku here?" Cloud muttered, already walking toward the angled hallway to the city central computer. No one bothered answering him and he disappeared.

Once the echo of his footfalls was gone, Leon folded his arms and gave Zack a hard look. However, it was not the raven-haired man he directed his question to. "What's going on, Sora?"

The teen gave a slight start. Laughing nervously, he rubbed the back of his head. "What makes you think something's going on?"

"The three of you are tense as hell, Sephiroth is being evasive, Cloud's more sullen and brooding than he has been in years and Riku's beginning to worry me with how withdrawn he's become," listed Leon, voice tight and leaving no room for further denial. "Now someone better tell me what's going on around here."

Zack opened his mouth, looking like he was about to offer another false statement of assurance. It quickly left him and he sighed heavily. He walked away from Aerith and toward Leon. Taking the younger man's arm, he turned him to exit. "Fine, but not here."

--0—0—

Cloud and Riku walked home beside one another just as they always did. To everyone they passed, things appeared completely normal. It was disturbing to Cloud just how good they both were at keeping up appearances. So far as he could tell, no one had realized that since Riku came home the couple had slowly grown distant from one another.

He flicked his eyes toward Riku. The younger man walked easily next to him, hands in pockets and head pitched slightly forward. His hair covered his face, something he had not done around Cloud for a very long time. Communication was extremely important to their relationship and Riku made it a point that Cloud could always look him in the eyes.

Of course, Cloud was the one currently not communicating. He should have just told Riku… He sighed to himself, returning his attention to the street ahead.

"What do you want for dinner?" Riku asked softly once they were two houses down from theirs.

Cloud shrugged. "Honestly, I'm not hungry."

"Neither am I."

They fell silent and continued up to the house. Upon entering, Riku took the lead and headed for the kitchen. He would get some water and since neither wanted food likely go upstairs. Cloud was a few steps behind and turned off to go into the office.

The blond settled down before his desk, leaning in his chair. He let the back of his head hit the top of it and stared at the ceiling. This could not continue; neither of them could stand much more of this. Unfortunately, Cloud was a coward and he knew it.

He did not know how much time went by before there was a firm knocking on the front door. There was a demanding nature to it and he automatically straightened in his chair. Before he could get up or Riku could come downstairs, the door opened.

"Cloud!" Leon actually raised his voice. "Get over here right now."

The older man winced at the words. He had never heard Leon like this before and he could only think of one thing that would cause it: Leon had to know. Sora or Zack had to have finally spilled to him about the whole situation.

Surprisingly, he was not angry about it.

He stood and left the office. Rounding the doorframe, he did not look up until he had taken a few steps. When he did, his heart sank even further than it had been. Not only was Leon here but Zack and Sora, both looking terribly unhappy.

…And behind them was Sephiroth.

Cloud stopped where he was, going completely numb inside. Leon was not… Sephiroth glanced at him and the look in his eyes said everything. It was time to confess everything. It's what they should have done in the first place.

"All right, what did Cloud…?" Riku trailed off as he paused halfway down the stairs. He surveyed the group gathered and his expression went blank. "What's going on?"

Leon shot Cloud a look. The blond's shoulders dropped and he turned his head toward his lover. He could not meet his eyes. "We need to talk."

He did not wait for Riku to reply or for any kind of confirmation from the group. He simply began walking again and entered the living room. He took a position against the wall, the same one Sephiroth had the day this whole nightmare began.

Leon motioned Sephiroth into the room after him. The former general stood along the adjourning wall from Cloud. A second later, Riku came into the room. He glanced at Leon uncertainly before moving to the window seat and sitting tersely upon it.

Zack and Sora moved to follow but Leon held up his hand. He looked between the three in the living room, expression tight and somehow sad. "They have to do this on their own."

Zack and Sora also placed their attention on Riku, Cloud and Sephiroth. Both had fearful looks to their eyes and nervous, tense faces. They clearly did not want to leave the three alone but Leon was right, they needed to take care of this without outside help.

Leon turned and escorted them out. This left the trio in the living room completely alone. None of them looked at one another as they waited for someone to start. The tension and uncertainty build up, the air growing thick with uneasy anticipation.

Finally, Sephiroth decided to take control of the moment. "I know that you have realized that the circumstances between Cloud and myself changed significantly while you were gone, Riku."

The younger son of Jenova did not move. "I have. I've also come to realize that it isn't for the reasons I originally thought."

Both Cloud and Sephiroth heard the detached tone of Riku's voice. They were not sure what to make of it but it was obvious that Riku knew a lot more than he was letting on. The question was: what conclusions had he come to?

"Something has changed between the two of you," continued Riku in that same tone. "The only thing I couldn't figure out is what. The fact that not only are the two of you going out of your way to keep me in the dark, but Sora and Zack have been acting strangely around me says that whatever this is about, it directly involves me."

Sephiroth took a shallow breath. "We have gone about this in completely the wrong manner, Riku."

Cloud finally spoke, words a bit rushed. "We thought we were protecting you by waiting until we had an explanation but we should have just told as soon as you returned but by then…"

Riku closed his eyes. "Cloud, just tell me what happened. Please."

The blond's face twisted painfully, his jaw tightening. "I… I… don't, can't…"

"Just tell me!" Riku abruptly snapped, eyes flaring up with a storm of conflicting emotions.

Sephiroth began to say something but Riku cut him off with an intense look. "No. If it's as bad as I'm beginning to think it is, I need to hear it from Cloud."

Cloud's expression managed to become more anguished as Sephiroth's frown deepened. The older man was as pained by this situation and he struggled to maintain control of himself. He had never hurt as much as he did now. Despite all the terrible things he had done, betraying his brother, the only one to have never judged him but simply love him, was by far the worse.

Breaking in slowly and deeply, Cloud lifted his head. Resolution broke through the suffering and he managed to look his lover in the eyes. His voice broke as he said the words that could never be taken back. "Sephiroth and I have betrayed your trust. We don't know how or why but some kind of physical attraction has developed between is."

Riku did not react at first. After an impossible moment of silence, his quietly asked. "Did you have sex?"

"No," Sephiroth stated firmly. "We would never allow it to go that far."

"But you would if I wasn't in the picture."

Cloud moved to protest, to deny the statement but paused. Glancing at Sephiroth, he recognized that the former general was thinking the exact same thing. Neither one of them could answer that question with confidence.

"I've always know that there was some deep, unexplainable bond between the two of you," Riku was barely audible. "I assumed it was due to everything you've been through together but… somehow, I knew that was flawed. There was always more to it than that."

"Cloud loves you, Riku," said Sephiroth with absolute conviction.

"I know he does," Riku smiled sadly, eyes beginning to shimmer with unshed tears. "And I know that you do, too. That's why you didn't say anything to me. You wanted to be certain before you broke my heart."

Both men grimaced upon hearing that sentence.

Riku stood, moistening his lower lip and wrapping his arms around himself. "I… don't know how to react to this."

"I'm so sorry, Riku," Cloud choked out. "I don't-"

"I know." The younger silver-haired man breathed out. "I need to be alone for a bit."

Sephiroth nodded, moving away from the wall. "We'll go."

Riku nodded once, head angled down and hair completely obscuring his face. Sephiroth flicked his eyes toward Cloud and the blond also moved from his position. As they passed opposite sides of Riku, Cloud paused beside him. He began to reach out for his lover's hand but Riku simply shied away.

A muscle in Cloud's cheek twitched and he turned away. He and Sephiroth exited the room together, entering the foyer. Sephiroth opened the front door and Cloud stepped outside before him.

Neither was able to pretend they did not hear the broken sob behind them.

--0—0—

Four hours later, Zack found Sephiroth in the castle. The older First Class had separated from Cloud wordlessly after leaving the house. He did not know where the blond had gone nor did he really care at that point.

He had never felt as horrible as he did at that moment.

Sephiroth did not react to Zack's approach, continuing his empty gaze over the Maw. He tried to force himself to not think about anything but that pain in his heart would not allow that. All he could see was that terrible look to Riku's face before he hid it away, could only hear that pained cry as they left.

"You okay?"

He snorted derisively. "What a ridiculous question."

"Yeah, I know," the raven-haired man rubbed the back of his head. "I just need to ask it, ya know?"

Sephiroth nodded. After a moment, he turned his head to the side, his wing giving a single, small flap. "I don't know what to do."

Zack sighed and moved to stand beside his friend. "I don't know if there's anything you can do. Obviously, things couldn't go on like they have but until you and Cloud figure things out…"

"I don't want this, Zack."

"No one thought you did," responded Zack. "That's why Sora and I covered for you. Looking back, that was a mistake. We should have made you tell Riku up front."

"We made a terrible error." Sephiroth felt his eyes sting and belatedly realized he was crying. He did not bother to rid himself of them. "We thought that we were somehow protecting Riku but all we did was double the betrayal of his trust. I wouldn't blame him if he never trusted any of us again."

"Neither would I," Cloud's voice echoed weakly through the airy room. He entered along with Leon, his eyes bloodshot and puffy. Leon walked next to him, expression stony but his own eyes stormy. He had gone to locate Cloud after Zack went after Sephiroth.

"Sora went to check on Riku," The sable-haired man informed the rest of the room. He separated from Cloud and leaned against a wall, arms folded. "Hopefully, Riku won't simply turn him away."

"Riku wouldn't do that to Sora," Cloud declared firmly. "No matter how Riku feels about him, he would never cast Sora off."

"The same is true for us, Cloud," Sephiroth spoke confidently. "He won't just abandon us."

Cloud sighed, looking downward. "Right now, I almost wish he would."

"That would be the easy thing to do."

The occupants of the room all turned to look at the arched doorway. Riku stood, face to the polished floor but bangs moved so that they could barely see his face. However, his eyes were still completely concealed. There was a neutral quality to his features and no sign that he had been crying or anything.

Sora was at his side, blue eyes large and scared. He bit his lip and wrung his hands together repeatedly. It was clear he had no idea what his best friend was going to do.

Riku did not leave the entryway. His voice was almost frighteningly calm as he spoke. "None of you had any right to decide for me what I can and cannot handle. Do not ever hide things from me, I don't care what the reason. Secrets only compound the situation and make it worse."

Both Sora and Zack nodded vigorously. Sora turned to the older one. "I'm sorry, Riku. We thought that by keeping everything quiet, it would give Cloud and Sephiroth time to figure things out. We thought it would be best to wait and see what happened."

"We were wrong though," Zack concluded, looking properly chastised.

Riku declined his head in acceptance of their apology. "Just don't ever do it again. It's better to know what's happening even if you don't have all the answers."

"We won't."

Riku's jaw tightened minutely. "Good. Now, please leave. You too, Leon."

The three in question gave Riku concerned looks. Giving it a moment, Leon glanced between Sephiroth and Cloud then pulled away from the wall. He steadily walked across the expanse of the room, briefly touching Riku's shoulder before leaving. Reluctantly, Zack and Sora followed.

Several minutes after they were gone, Riku stepped further into the room. He stopped where he would be in clear view of both his lover and brother. Turning his face up, he flicked his head and let his bangs fall to the sides.

His eyes were now completely visible to them.

"I love you both," he started without preamble. "The two of you, along with Sora, are the most important people in my life and I would be lost without any one of you. I can honestly say that I never want to see a day knowing I can't go to either one of you."

He took a breath. "That said, I can't ignore what you have done. I know you didn't want it to happen and I understand that you don't even know why it did. You both need to figure that out before anything else can be decided."

Cloud studied Riku carefully. "We've been trying to."

"But you're not getting anywhere with it," countered the younger male, shaking his head slightly. "And I think I know why. Both of you have been so concerned about me that you won't allow yourselves to seriously examine all of the options. If I was removed as a factor, it would be easier for you to figure things out."

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes. He knew that Riku was going somewhere with this. His brother's aqua eyes were immensely sad, still confused and shaded by hurt. However, beneath all of that was set determination.

"I'm leaving Radiant Garden for a while," Riku announced softly. "I've made arrangements with Mickey to stay at Disney Castle."

Cloud's breath hitched and it was obvious that he did not want to ask his next question. "What does that mean for us?"

Riku's jaw tensed for a moment and he blinked rapidly for a moment. He then collected himself and met Cloud's eyes evenly. "It means that as of now, you and I are separated."

The blond looked stricken and staggered. "Riku…"

"It's not permanent, Cloud, at least, I hope it won't be," Riku swallowed thickly. "I'm also closing myself off from Sephiroth. I'm removing myself from the equation."

Sephiroth was not prepared for this turn of events and inhaled sharply. Before he could speak, Riku placed his attention on him. Any protest died on Sephiroth's lips.

"I suggest that you both find separate locations and allow yourselves to just relax and think about what _you_ want. I think that if you do, you'll be able to see the situation more clearly. Once you each know what you want, you'll be able to deal with this complex passion between you." Riku pulled his gaze away from his brother. "Until you two get this settled, I can't be with either of you. The uncertainty, the confusion, the constant questioning what your doing when I'm not there, I can't and won't go through it."

Sephiroth slowly nodded, understanding why Riku was doing this. Cloud was openly crying but he also tilted his head down in acceptance. Riku was correct, until both Cloud and Sephiroth had everything figured out for themselves, there was no telling what would happen and it was not fair to any of them to make things more difficult.

"This is the hardest thing I've ever done," murmured Riku, glancing at his brother and then his lover. "And it's going to be worse for you. What you both need to know is that no matter what the outcome of this situation is, whether Cloud and I remain together or it turns out that the two of you really were destined, I will _always_ love you both."

…And with that, Riku turned and left.


	4. Passion Resolved

I decided to do a FOURTH installment. I'm pretty positive this is it. PLease review? Thanks.

* * *

Passion Resolved

It had been two months since the confrontation between himself, Sephiroth and Riku. After Riku left them in the castle tower, Sephiroth had flicked his eyes toward him for a brief moment before teleporting out. There had been tears in his eyes and deep pain to his expression. The winged man had not been seen since.

By the time Cloud was able to bring himself to go home, he had cried all he could and his anguish had faded into a numbness that he felt physically, mentally and emotionally. He walked back into town, his steps automatic and awareness detached from his surroundings. When he entered the house, he knew that Riku was already gone.

Cloud was uncertain why he chose to remain on Radiant Garden for his time of reflection. It probably would have been easier on him to have left like Riku and Sephiroth had but he supposed he was simply one of those people who did better with taking the more difficult path. Every day he was forced to remember what happened and what he had lost as a result.

The first month was spent in complete denial. What had occurred that had lead to Riku and Sephiroth's departure had not been his fault. He did not start the affair; Sephiroth had pinned him to the wall. He was not the one to decide to keep it a secret; Sora had said it was best not to tell Riku. He had not even been the one to reveal the secret; Leon had taken it upon himself to force the issue… And Riku had chosen for them to separate.

It was during the past month that he began to understand just how much he really was to blame. Sephiroth may have made the first move but he didn't push him off, didn't shove him away. In fact, if he was really honest with himself, which he rarely was, he could admit that he had enjoyed those intense, uncontrolled moments between them. There was something so raw, so primal about those few exchanges. It was a feeling he craved and somehow knew that only Sephiroth could give him.

Going beyond that, he could have told his husband, his Riku, what had happened after that first passionate exchange between himself and Sephiroth. Instead, he had given that decision to Sora and Zack, taking the easy way for himself. If Riku had found out, he could let them take the blame for hiding it. If Riku didn't…

Cloud sighed and finished his glass of whiskey. Pouring himself another, he knew he could not avoid it anymore. He had put off exploring his feelings and what he wanted for too long; Riku deserved an answer and they all needed resolution. He took the glass and whiskey bottle and brought them to the porch where he dropped down to sit on the wood floor.

It was raining outside but fairly warm still. Most of the day's work had been cancelled due to the weather and Aerith had called most everyone else over to plan the upcoming flower festival. He was likely to be left alone for at least the rest of the evening.

Taking a slow drink, he watched the rivulets of water brokenly run down the screen. One of the things that was troubling him the most about the past two months was that as time had gone by, his concern for Riku had diminished. Yes, he still worried about his lover, wondered if he was okay and what he was doing but all of that was slowly fading. He did not know what that meant.

"Cloud?"

The blond held his glass in his lap with both hands. He did not bother replying; he knew Zack would find him quickly enough. He did not know what his friend was doing here but hoped he would leave quickly. Now that he had decided to do this, he couldn't be interrupted.

He heard Zack enter the kitchen and a moment later step outside. "Hey, Spike. Whatcha doing out here?"

"Drinking."

Zack walked around him and frowned at what he saw. He had been keeping a close eye on Cloud since Riku had left Radiant Garden. He did not know the details of what had transpired in the castle after Riku had sent Sora, Leon and himself away. When Cloud had returned to town two hours later, all he told them was that Riku and Sephiroth had left and he didn't know yet what was going to happen.

The raven-haired man sat upon the picnic table. "Ya know, drinking alone isn't fun."

"Being alone isn't fun but at least now I'm doing something."

That was a strange statement. "And what's that?"

Cloud kept his eyes on his glass. He really did not want to talk about this with anyone. "Making a decision."

"About?" Zack gently prompted. He had a feeling he knew what but needed to hear what his friend said. He had been waiting to see some movement toward resolution of the mess he had helped get Cloud, Riku, and Sephiroth into.

Cloud closed his eyes. "If I need to set Riku free."

The pair fell silent and Zack studied his ex-lover closely. Normally, he was able to figure Cloud out fairly easily but lately, the blond had been closed off and unreadable. He was removed from everyone including himself.

Zack still felt horrible for his part in the situation they were now all in. He and Sora had made completely the wrong decision to hide the escalating exchanges and confused, complex passion between Cloud and Sephiroth. If they had encouraged honesty from the start, they would not be where they are.

"Sora went to see Riku two weeks ago, didn't he?" Cloud questioned softly. The teen hadn't said where he was going but had been rather relived looking when he returned.

"Yeah," Zack confirmed. "He said he seemed to be doing okay."

"Good." The younger man opened his eyes. He lifted his face to watch the rain again. "I still love him; he's… such a strong, amazing man. Watching him as he endured his trials and kept moving forward was such an inspiration.

"I can't deny that it was his resemblance to Sephiroth that first got my attention. As I got to know him, that fell away but… if I'm really honest with myself, I never stopped seeing all the similarities between them. Physically and personality-wise they have a lot in common. The biggest difference between them is that Riku was able to handle the impossible things thrown at him. He faced and battled his demons, unlike Sephiroth who allowed them to consume him."

Cloud stopped speaking for a few minutes. As he said the words walls that he had years ago built began falling. Memories slowly rose up of events that he hadn't allowed himself to remember: odd interactions, layered conversations, emotions…

"You said when all of this started that Sephiroth and I had always had this unexplainable connection from the day we met. It's true. From that very first meeting, I was drawn to him. That didn't lessen even with my hatred of him."

Zack was not sure he wanted to know where Cloud was going with this. He wondered if Cloud even knew for himself where he was going. A terrible feeling was forming in the pit of his stomach. If Cloud was going where Zack thought he was…

If Zack though he was feeling bad, he had nothing on what Cloud was experiencing. The blond always knew he was a little messed up in the head but he didn't think it was this bad. He had thought that Riku was his angel, his savior. When Riku entered into his life, Cloud had truly believed that his life was finally coming together and he was recovered.

"I need you to go, Zack." He didn't look at his friend, already knowing his reaction. "Please."

Zack studied Cloud and debated doing as asked. He did not want Cloud to face what was obviously a terrible decision alone but it was what he needed to do. When Cloud made up his mind to do something, he saw it through to the end. Plus, this was something Zack could not really help him with.

He got off the table and stood beside the younger male. In a show of support, he leaned a bit to the side and squeezed Cloud's shoulder. He didn't bother saying anything.

Then he left.

Cloud listened as Zack went back into the house. As soon as he knew he was completely alone again, he allowed himself to completely feel the emotions his revelations brought up. He did not sob or cry out as tears fell free and his heart shattered. He thought the pieces would scatter but outside of the fractures that broke it up, it remained intact.

He knew what he needed… and it was not what he wanted.

--0—0—

Sephiroth casually wiped the sandy dust from his leather coat as he walked out of the arena. He ignored the cheers and yelling of the crowd in the stands and went to the waiting area to see when the next match was. He was rather disappointed that he had no more challenges for today.

After leaving Radiant Garden, he had travelled a few worlds with no set direction until he came to the Coliseum. The battle arena had been repaired and was preparing to reopen when he arrived three weeks ago. Phil had reluctantly agreed to allow Sephiroth to be opening match, probably figuring that so long as the winged man was there Hades would stay away. He also knew that Sephiroth would guarantee a full house.

Since then, he had been an active participant in not only the new games but several random challenges issued him by warriors wanting to prove themselves. Though few had been anything more than a nuisance, the battles were a welcome thing. It was only in the heat of combat that he got a break from the thoughts and emotions that weighed on him.

He had contacted King Mickey only once to check on his brother. The ruler told him that Riku was distant and withdrawn but working through his moods and attempting to regain his center. When the king asked about him, Sephiroth had not replied and ended the call. He had not tried to find out about Cloud.

Sephiroth banished Masamune. He was staying in a small apartment in Thebes during his off-time and he was in need of a shower. He flat out refused to use any of the facilities at the Coliseum no matter how clean they were.

He teleported to his temporary living space and remained still in the center of the room. He despised this place and more importantly he loathed that he was here alone. Radiant Garden had become home and the people there his family.

…And he had destroyed all of that because he was not able to control himself around his brother's husband.

He headed for the shower located in the tiny bathroom that was the only other actual room of the loft space. There was a single window lighting a slightly raised area that served as the bedroom ad a kitchenette just past the bathroom. A worn sofa and table filled what would be the living room section.

He turned the shower on and began to undress. He had just worked off his coat when there was a tap on the front door. He paused and frowned deeply as the presence of his visitor called out to him in a strange mix of emotions that he had trouble deciphering. Above all that, though, was a fierce determination.

He shut the water off but did not redress. Exiting the bathroom, he crossed to the door and only hesitated a beat. He did not know why the man was here but felt a sense of relief that he was.

Shoving that away, he opened the door and addressed his guest neutrally. "Cloud."

The blond did not try to come in. He did not even look up, keeping his eyes averted. A minute passed before he muttered, "I've made a decision."

Sephiroth motioned him inside.

Cloud stepped in and headed for the middle of the apartment. He kept his back to Sephiroth as the winged man shut the door but lifted his head to study the small window above the bed. He felt the other man's eyes upon him and chuckled humorlessly. "I knew exactly where to find you."

Sephiroth remained silent. He did not know what the blond had decided. He was rather pleased to see him and no small amount of guilt accompanied that. Whether he liked it or not, he always felt more complete somehow when Cloud was around.

"You feel it, too, don't you?" Cloud slowly turned to face him. "Something wasn't right but you don't really notice it until it's right again."

Feline eyes settled upon Cloud's face and Sephiroth knew what Cloud's decision was; the younger male did not have to speak the words.

A brief silence followed before Cloud again averted his eyes. "I love your brother; he was never a substitute for you."

Sephiroth nodded, knowing that the other would pick up the moment.

"I don't want to break his heart because I'm a mess."

"Riku's heart is already broken due to our betrayal." Sephiroth spoke softly. He and Cloud's hearts were also close to it. "Broken hearts heal with time but that's not my concern for Riku."

Cloud took a deep breath and walked over to the tattered sofa. He dropped heavily onto it and put his head in his hands. "He's strong. If we're honest with him, he'll move on… maybe even forgive us."

"I have no doubt he'll forgive." Sephiroth's wings twitched. "But he'll never forget. The scars we have given him are permanent."

Cloud looked up, anger flashing in his eyes. "I'm well aware of that, Sephiroth. I know how those kinds of scars work; you gave me enough of them."

"And yet you're here and not with Riku," muttered the silver-haired man. "What does that mean, Cloud?"

Sephiroth waited for Cloud's response. He was certain what the blond's purpose her was but he needed to hear it, see it, from Cloud. He needed to have that complete confirmation before he would allow himself…

Cloud got to his feet, his head angled down as he took the few steps toward his brother-in-law, the former bane of his existence. "You and I… have a long, painful history. Before Nibleheim, however, we could have had something different. Even Zack noticed the energy, the bond, between us."

Intense blue eyes met equally intense green. Cloud did not speak further. He was never very good using words to express himself and in this situation, he really did not think he could convey what he needed to, anyway. There was something else he could do, however.

Moistening his lips, he stepped closer, stretched up and kissed Sephiroth.

Sephiroth stiffened for a fraction of a second before relaxing and realizing the purpose of Cloud's action. Cloud was using this kiss as a way to communicate what he didn't have words for. Sephiroth could feel the desire for him, the regret for what this was going to do to the man they both loved, the sense that this kiss was absolutely right…

His hands came up and held Cloud's hips lightly as he began to return the kiss. Finally, he let himself accept the truth; he had wanted Cloud from the start. Cloud was right; if Nibleheim had never happened, the two of them likely would have ended up together. If Cloud hadn't met Riku, they could have gotten together some time ago.

Cloud carefully broke the kiss but did not move away. He looked into Sephiroth's eyes, his growing moist but still certain. "We never could have anything easy, could we?"

"No." Sephiroth reached up with his left hand and brushed at a spike of blond hair. "And it won't be easy for a long time, if ever. If we move forward with this, we risk losing everything."

"I've lost everything before." Cloud stated quietly. "Yet you always remained and even though I hated you, I always took a twisted comfort in that."

Sephiroth dropped his head. "We will likely lose Riku."

Cloud's body tensed. He knew that; it was the last thing he wanted because he truly did love the young man. Riku had accepted Cloud with all of his baggage and flaws and taught him that despite his failures and self-depreciation, someone could find the value in him, could love him completely bad because of that, he had been able to start loving himself.

Beyond that, he did not want Sephiroth to lose his brother because he knew how much the man loved Riku. Riku had accepted and immediately loved Sephiroth despite knowing what he had done and who he was. The younger son of Jenova had seen what remained of Sephiroth before insanity had taken him and brought it to the surface. From that he had helped Sephiroth develop into a complete person, showing him how to love and be loved in return.

It was some kind of cruel irony that it was because of Riku's role in both their lives that they were able to hurt him like this.

Cloud exhaled softly. "I think… that if we do, we deserve it."

Sephiroth could not argue with that statement. "Have you seen him?"

The spiky blond shook his head. "I couldn't… I had to talk to you first…be certain…"

"We should tell him together." Sephiroth decided. "Maybe we can keep the possibility of keeping him in our lives somehow if we do it together."

Cloud nodded. "Let's go."

--0—0—

Cloud and Sephiroth waited in the large sitting room that they had been escorted to upon asking to see Riku. The attendant gave them a dark look as she left that made both uncomfortable. They had the feeling she knew exactly who they were.

"I really don't want to do this," murmured Cloud, standing close to Sephiroth near the tall window of the circular room. "How can we…?"

Sephiroth placed his hand on Cloud's shoulder. "We can because we must. It's time to resolve this mess and face the consequences."

Without thinking about it, the blond dropped his head on the taller man's shoulder. "It's going to be years before this is truly resolved… if it ever is."

"I'm aware."

There was a clearing of a throat and both turned for the door. King Mickey gazed at them, his expression a mix of understanding, concern and a touch of anger. Beside him stood Riku, his arms hanging at his sides and face completely closed off. What was a surprise to them was that Riku had cut his hair to his shoulders and his bangs cleared his face.

Mickey glanced up at the young man beside him and Riku barely nodded. The human-like mouse flicked his eyes back at the other two and quietly left the room. In his wake, an unpleasant silence remained.

Riku set his attention on Cloud and spoke in a calm voice. "I'll file the divorce papers tomorrow and you can have everything."

Cloud couldn't speak so he declined his head to acknowledge the statement. He didn't want the things that had made up their marriage and home but he was unable to say so. Riku's attitude was disturbing him immensely.

Sephiroth was also disturbed by his brother's state. Riku was still completely closed off from them and there was no depth, no emotion to his aqua eyes. "We need to explain-"

Riku held up a hand. "No, you don't. At least, not now. It's going to take a very long time for any of us to recover from this nightmare. I started some therapy here… I think the two of you should look into it, too."

"I was thinking that." Sephiroth noted. "I was also hoping that eventually, the three of us could repair the damage done to our relationships. We don't want to lose you, however, if that's what has to happen we will accept that."

"I don't hate either of you." Riku smiled sadly. Emotion began working its way onto his features and his eyes were full of pain and acceptance. "I'll love you both until I die. And I know you love me. This wasn't something you could control; fate had put you together before any of us were born."

Cloud narrowed his eyes. He caught something in the tone of Riku's voice. "You knew this was going to be the outcome, didn't you?"

"I didn't _know_ but there was enough evidence." Riku wrapped his arms around himself and his right hand rubbed at his upper left arm. "I guess Nibleheim did more damage than anyone knew, huh? If that hadn't happened…"

"We never would have met you." Sephiroth whispered. "And that would have been a tragedy."

"Maybe. Or maybe I would have still found a way to you, reunion and all that."

That was a strong possibility. They were all connected to each other because of that. It was probably yet another reason all of this got so tangled up.

Riku's eyes shined brightly and despite the pain in them, there was a strong certainty. "We're going to find a way through this. The three of us are too much a part of each other's lives. It won't be easy and know that I'm in for a really bad night again but… there's resolution now."

"Again?" Sephiroth asked. The statement sent him searching his brother's form for any sign of distress.

"Thank you, Cloud." Riku met his husband's eyes. "Sora was convinced that you would never make up your mind. I'm glad you didn't."

"I couldn't do that to you." The older man choked out. "You deserve…so much more than I've given you."

"You've given me everything, Cloud. I don't regret a single moment with you. You saved me, just as I saved you." Riku took a breath and visibly centered himself. "The same is true for you, Brother. I don't hold any of this against either of you."

They fell silent again. There was a great deal they needed to talk about and more that they were going to need to individually work through but the first step had been made. Things would be complicated for awhile as each of their different passions changed and settled but there was hope that they would be able to get through it.

"Have either of you eaten?" Riku inquired softly.

"Food has been the last thing on my mind." Cloud snorted. Sephiroth shook his head.

"Come on." Riku motioned with his head as he turned. "They've got this passion fruit infused tofu-mix that's amazing."

Cloud and Sephiroth looked after him uncertainly.

Glancing at one another, they saw the same concerns for the young man. Riku was clearly not handling his emotions very well but he was trying. He said he was in therapy, maybe they would try to speak to the therapist themselves before leaving. The number one thing to both of them was that Riku made it through this as un-jaded and as receptive to love as he had been before.

Cloud reached out and Sephiroth took his hand. They squeezed each other's fingers briefly before releasing those hands. It was not much but it reaffirmed their decision and their commitment to repair the damage cause by the passion that they had denied for far too long.

They then followed after Riku.


End file.
